ProjectFuture Alley - Sustainable Lifestyles

The overall purpose of this interdisciplinary project is to analyze how sustainable practices and lifestyles may emerge in retrofitted rental apartments including technology for smart grids and micro generation of solar power. As a case study, the research project will use an apartment building on Framtidsgränd (Future Alley) in Västerås, where 19 apartments originally built during the 1960's have been renovated and provided with smart grid technology of the future. Electricity consumption and solar power production will be measured for two years and tenants’ behaviour and experience of the technology will be studied over the same period of time.

One of the goals with the project is to study how the households benefit from the solar panels on the balconies. Will the tenants become more energy efficient with help from this kind of smart technology? Will they, for instance, reschedule everyday tasks such as dishes and laundry to times when electricity from solar production are higher? Another goal of the project is to use a participatory approach to design concepts for the touchpoints between people and the smart grid technology. Households as well as partners will be highly active in this part.

The project results will guide the design and implementation of smart grids in retrofitted residential areas. Previous studies have mainly focused on new residential areas but the project “Future Alley – Sustainable Lifestyles” addresses the integration of smart grid technology in retrofitted residential areas, 25% of all Swedish housing.

The research is funded by the Energy Agency and the partners are the real estate company Bostads AB Mimer, the energy company Mälarenergi and There Corporation.